An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of the prophesy of Hosea being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhill, London / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the seventh book published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of the prophesy of Hosea being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil, London / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the seventh book published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]
Jeremiah Burroughs 1599–1646London: printed by Peter Cole, 1651
[28], 570 [i.e. 486], [16] p. · 186k words · Wing B6071 · ESTC R26576
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Fourthly, I am unworthy (saith the sinner) of any mercy from God. Indeed, if you had to deal with a man it might 1hinder, but God is a God, and not a man, therefore 'tis not unworthiness that hinders mercy in God, it is that mercy pleases him.
Yea, But I am like to be of no use to God. It's true, if you were to deal with a man, he might not be pleased, 1but God stands in no need of you, or any of his creatures, for he is a God, and not man; thou doest not honour God, as a God, if thou doest not cast thy soul upon his mercy, as the mercy of a God.
Yea, But I am like to be of no use to God. It's true, if you were to deal with a man, he might not be pleased, 1but God stands in no need of you, or any of his creatures, for he is a God, and not man; thou doest not honor God, as a God, if thou doest not cast thy soul upon his mercy, as the mercy of a God.
If I put this unto thee, I hope the glory of it will be so great as will keep it from being abused, What, doest thou think thy condition is grievous, but doest thou think that such mercy would not serve the turn as this is that now I am naming, that thou shouldest have such mercy as an infinite God should therefore manifest, to
that end that he might show to Men and Angels to all eternity what the power of his infinite Mercy can do? would not this mercy serve thy turn, such a mercy as this is? I'll name it again, abuse it at your peril Suppose thy condition so low, yet would not this serve thy turn, such mercy as an infinite God should show, to
⟨p. 177⟩
that end that he might appear to men and Angels to all eternity, what he is able to do in the infiniteness of his mercy, Would not this serve thee, and help thee, and heal thee? Now this is tendered to thee in the Gospel, even this mercy is tendered to thee in Christ to be an object of thy faith; and the very presenting of this is a work of the Ministry of the Gospel that it might draw acts of faith,
for it hath a power to draw forth faith, yea, to beget faith, the very presenting such a thing as this is hath a quickness in it: It's true, if you look upon God only as a merciful man, this is no such glory as the shining of it upon the soul will ad life; As now, the shining of the Moon, or a hundred Torches will never beget life in a Garden; but the shining of the Sun will do it: so the apprehending of the mercy of God any other way but as a God, as a God in Christ, will never beget life in the soul, but
look upon him in the infiniteness of his mercy, whose thoughts of mercy are beyond ours as high as the Heavens are above the Earth, this is the way to beget faith. And therefore those that cannot believe, they take very il courses for themselves, only to have their thoughts upon such things as may discourage them, and they think that this is as pleasing to God; but certainly the way to beget or raise faith in thy heart is, to look upon God as a God in the ways of his mercy.
If I put this unto thee, I hope the glory of it will be so great as will keep it from being abused, What, doest thou think thy condition is grievous, but doest thou think that such mercy would not serve the turn as this is that now I am naming, that thou shouldest have such mercie as an infinite God should therefore manifest, to 1that end that he might shew to Men and Angels to all eternitie what the power of his infinite Mercy can do? would not this mercie serve thy turn, such a mercie as this is? I'le name it again, abuse it at your peril Suppose thy condition so low, yet would not this serve thy turn, such mercy as an infinit God should shew, to ⟨p. 177⟩that end that he might appear to men and Angels to all eternity, what he is able to do in the infinitness of his mercy, Would not this serve thee, and help thee, and heal thee? Now this is tendred to thee in the Gospel, even this mercy is tendred to thee in Christ to be an object of thy faith; and the very presenting of this is a work of the Ministry of the Gospel that it might draw acts of faith, 2for it hath a power to draw forth faith, yea, to beget faith, the very presenting such a thing as this is hath a quickness in it: It's true, if you look upon God only as a merciful man, this is no such glory as the shining of it upon the soul will ad life; As now, the shining of the Moon, or a hundred Torches wil never beget life in a Garden; but the shining of the Sun wil do it: so the apprehending of the mercy of God any other way but as a God, as a God in Christ, will never beget life in the soul, but 3look upon him in the infinitness of his mercy, whose thoughts of mercy are beyond ours as high as the Heavens are above the Earth, this is the way to beget faith. And therefore those that cannot beleeve, they take very il courses for themselves, only to have their thoughts upon such things as may discourage them, and they think that this is as pleasing to God; but certainly the way to beget or raise faith in thy heart is, to look upon God as a God in the waies of his mercy.
1A ground of strong consolation, from Ephes. 2. 4, 5, 6, 7. Caution against the abuse of this doctrine.
2The chief work of the Ministry.
3What is the immediate root of Faith.What is the imediate root of Faith.
Yea, but you will say, The truth is, this that you 1speak of, that God is a God, and not a man, is rather a discouragement to my heart, 'tis a God that I have sinned against, and not a man; as one way it may encourage me, so another way it may discourage me; Against thee, against thee only have I sinned (saith David) Psal. 51. And indeed, this is the most piercing thought in a true penitent heart, My sin is against God, I have lived so long a time without a God in the course of my life, and I have struck at God himself in my sinful ways. Oh wretch that I have been! I have been guilty of the darkening of ⟨p. 178⟩the glory of the great God in the world: Now I'll answer thee this in a word;
Yea, but you will say, The truth is, this that you 1speak of, that God is a God, and not a man, is rather a discouragement to my heart, 'tis a God that I have sinned against, and not a man; as one way it may encourage me, so another way it may discourage me; Against thee, against thee only have I sinned (saith David) Psal. 51. And indeed, this is the most piercing thought in a true penitent heart, My sin is against God, I have lived so long a time without a God in the course of my life, and I have struck at God himself in my sinful waies. Oh wretch that I have been! I have been guilty of the darkening of ⟨p. 178⟩the glory of the great God in the world: Now I'le answer thee this in a word;
And is this that which doth aggravate thy sin in thy 1heart? does this work upon thy heart most, that thou canst appeal to God, that of all the considerations of sin that ever thou haddest in thy life, there is nothing grieves thee so much, as that it is against God? Because God is so glorious, so infinitely worthy of honour from all his creatures; be of good comfort, and take encouragement from this point, and mark what I am saying, and with that I shall close all.
And is this that which doth aggravate thy sin in thy 1heart? does this work upon thy heart most, that thou canst appeal to God, that of all the considerations of sin that ever thou hadest in thy life, there is nothing grieves thee so much, as that it is against God? Because God is so glorious, so infinitely worthy of honor from all his creatures; be of good comfort, and take encouragement from this point, and mark what I am saying, and with that I shall close all.
If the consideration of the glory of God above a man doth thus aggravate thy sin to thy humiliation, then it will aggravate the mercy of God to thy consolation as well; If thou workest this thought upon thy heart, Oh my sin is against a God and not a man, and therefore my heart is humbled, then the Lord would have thee to make use of the consideration of his glory as a God for thy comfort; God is a God, and not a man, in the way of mercy. The Holy one in the midst of thee.
If the confideration of the glory of God above a man doth thus aggravate thy sin to thy humiliation, then it will aggravate the mercy of God to thy consolation as well; If thou workest this thought upon thy heart, Oh my sin is against a God and not a man, and therefore my heart is humbled, then the Lord would have thee to make use of the consideration of his glory as a God for thy comfort; God is a God, and not a man, in the way of mercy. The Holy one in the midst of thee.
[He is] here said to be the Holy One. 1. To show that the anger He would let out should be such, as should have 1no mixture of evil. But what considerations might be to order and guide it should not be wanting. Mens angers are very unclean, there is much smoke and fill thy stuff together in their fire. But here in Exod. 15. 11. [God is said to be] Glorious in Holiness. Gods vials [of wrath] are golden, Revel. 15. 7.
[He is] here said to be the Holy One. 1. To shew that the anger He would let out should be such, as should have 1no mixture of evil. But what considerations might be to order and guide it should not be wanting. Mens angers are very unclean, there is much smoke and fil thy stuff together in their fire. But here in Exod. 15. 11. [God is said to be] Glorious in Holiness. Gods vials [of wrath] are golden, Revel. 15. 7.
